SAHRC steps into mosque desecration fray

The chairperson of the SAHRC, Bongani Majola, confirmed that the Muslim Judicial Council had filed a complaint with the commission.

The South African Human Rights Commission is considering launching an inquiry into the incidents of desecration at two Cape Town mosques over the last few days.

The chairperson of the SAHRC, Bongani Majola, confirmed that the Muslim Judicial Council had filed a complaint with the commission.

On Monday morning, the Masjidul Jamiah in Kalk Bay was found to have blood strewn on the walls and pulpit. The property was also vandalized on the inside. On Saturday, a pig’s snout and blood was left on the gate of a mosque in Simon’s Town. Pigs are proscribed in Islam.

“Freedom of religion is a human right and all places of worship are sacrosanct,” was Majola’s response to the despicable acts.

He went on to say that the desecration showed a “flagrant disregard for constitutionally-enshrined rights to freedom of religion, dignity, and equality for all.”

The SAHRC chair confirmed that the commission was assessing the situation and would launch its own inquiry once the perpetrators were identified.

He congratulated the police on their rapid action and encouraged them to increase their efforts to identify the guilty parties.

Majola reiterated the SAHRC’s stance, saying “Our Constitution protects freedom of religion and thus we cannot allow this type of action to persist in a society based on equality and diversity.”